II J THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 47 



thing smooth and solid. Grass will shoot earlier 

 under a bush, than under a wall, or even a house. 

 A wall will not save your ears from the sharp winds 

 so effectually as even a thin hedge. The American 

 farmer knows well the warmth that walls of Corn- 

 Stalks afford. 



85. However, it is not to be presumed, that a 

 Hot- Bed Ground will be made by every farmer ; 

 and, therefore, before I proceed further with my 

 instructions about it, let me proceed upon the sup- 

 position, that the aforementioned bed is made in 

 some open place. In this case it will be necessary 

 to use some precautions as to shelter. 



86. While the dung is working, before it be made 

 into the bed, it must, in case of very sharp frost, 

 be covered, especially on the North and North 

 West sides. If it be not, it will freeze on these 

 sides, and, of course, will not ferment. However, 

 this is no troublesome job : you have only to throw 

 on a parcel of straw, or stalks ; and take them off 

 again, when the frost relaxes. When the bed is 

 made, this is what I did. I drove some stakes 

 down, four feet distant from the bed, opposite the 

 North Side and the West End. I tacked a pole 

 from stake to stake ; and then I placed up along 

 against this pole, three or four rows of sheaves of 

 tall Corn-Stalks. This sheltered the bed from the 

 North West winds, and prevented it from freezing 

 on that quarter. Some sheaves might, besides, if 

 necessary, be laid against the bed itself. But, ob- 

 serve, you must be able to get at the Lights con- 

 stantly to give air, and to see how things go on ; 

 and, therefore, it is better to have your shelter at 

 some feet distance from the bed. 



87. We now return to the bed and the plants. I 

 suppose the seed to have been sown on the 10th of 



